How We Work

Meet & Discuss

Your initial step will be to meet with an architect at a mutually convenient time to help define the scope of the project. Our meeting times are available most weekdays. Saturday appointments may be available as well.

We typically meet at your home or commercial location where the site and building conditions can be discussed and observed first hand.

Talks usually center around feasibility, planning and zoning requirements, site setbacks and other restrictions that might be potential roadblocks.

Interview

We often advise clients to prepare a wish list of requirements, photos, magazine articles, styles they like and what they don’t like. We also ask for a property survey, if available, for review or it can be produced at a subsequent meeting.

Additionally, we ask our clients to give us an idea of an approximate budget they have in mind. We want our clients to have a realistic view of what is involved. There are times when a project may be able to meet a tight budget but this is not always the case.

At this point, if you want to move forward, we require a retainer, amount to be discussed.

Design Development

Next, the architect will come to your site. The discussion centers around your upcoming project.

For all Projects: A work session is scheduled so the proposed design can be discussed and critiqued. Keeping some items, possibly discarding others and maybe setting up one or more work sessions, depending on the overall scope and magnitude of the project.

For Renovations and Add A Levels: The existing structure is photographed and measured and a set of plans, showing existing conditions is created to use as a base to create a new floor plan and elevations. Structural considerations including HVAC, plumbing, etc are taken into consideration.

This process starts as a broad stroke method and works its way towards finer details. Eventually, a final design is agreed upon and the construction document phase begins.

Construction Documents

During this phase, final working drawings are prepared. These usually consist of foundation plan, architectural floor plans, roof plan, exterior elevations, building and wall sections, window and door schedules, site plan, electrical plans, notes, details and specifications, and energy compliance certificate.